Echoes of History

What were the main causes of the Russian Revolution? Why were the Romanovs murdered?

Assassin's Creed Chronicles: Russia transports us to the tense atmosphere of World War One as Russia made the difficult transition from an imperial state to a socialist republic. But what was it like for the ordinary person on the streets of Moscow, or in the wheatfields of Kursk? Did they passionately pursue the political shifts that were under...

Was Cleopatra actually Egyptian?

It's a surprisingly important question. When most people think of Cleopatra, they have a specific person in mind. The Egyptian queen who married Julius Caesar and loved Mark Antony, and nearly ruled the Roman Empire for herself. But she was merely the final chapter in the long story of the Ptolemaic rulers of ancient Egypt. Who were the women who came before her? And though she is the most famous...

The unforeseen consequences of this war led to the first scientific history book, the birth of philosophy. and the rise of Alexander the Great. Assassin's Creed Odyssey puts us at the heart of the expansive conflict that occurred when Athens went to war with Sparta: the Peloponnesian War. Guest host Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr Roel Konijnendijk to recount the causes, events and legacy of this pivotal war in the ancient Greek wor...

Blackbeard, Anne Bonny, Mary Read, Benjamin Hornigold... Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced recreates the key people, places and events of the Golden Age Of Piracy. The game puts players in the salty shoes of Captain Edward Kenway as he rubs shoulders with real historical pirates as they fight for their freedom from the British and Spanish empires.

In the final episode of this special series, Matt Lewis is joined by the ...

How did Theseus escape the Labyrinth? Is the Labyrinth real? Who created the Minotaur? Assassin’s Creed Odyssey immerses players in the mythology of Ancient Greece. In particular, they can walk in the footsteps of Theseus through the Labyrinth and come face to face with the mythical Minotaur. Archaeology reveals the real roots of the myth and how it developed over time.

How is the myth connected to Knossos palace on Crete?...

Did pirates really bury treasure, fly the Jolly Roger and walk the plank?

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced avoids many of the clichés of pirate fiction. Yet staying true to history still includes tropes of pop culture pirates - there may be no talking parrots, but they still drink a lot of rum. Matt Lewis rejoins Dr Rebecca Simon to debunk pirate myths!

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction

06:08 - Did Pirates Use Black Flags...

In the world of Assassin's Creed Shadows, the legendary Hattori Hanzo embodies both samurai and shinobi warriors. As history's most famous ninja, he was also a samurai: his fierce dual nature earned him the nickname, "The Demon".

How did Hattori Hanzo reach such legendary status? And what does his story tell us about the warring loyalties of late Sengoku Japan?

Joining Matt Lewis to answer these questions and more are Hiroko ...

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced puts us in the heart of the pirate world during the Golden Age Of Piracy: the island of New Providence and its capital, Nassau. As we roam around its highly detailed recreation in the game, we get a sense of what it was like to live in a place that wanted to be free from the yoke of kings and empires. But was it really a tropical paradise? Is its reputation as a bastion of democratic freed...

The Hagia Sophia is a landmark that has stood for 1500 years, and that players can clamber all over in Assassin’s Creed Revelations. It is remarkable not only for its longevity, but also for its blending of multiple cultures: their art, architecture, languages and faiths. It is as much a melting pot as the metropolis that surrounds it.

To unpack this complex history, Matt Lewis is joined by Emily Neumeier, Assistant Profes...

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced recreates the beautiful islands of the Caribbean in stunning detail, and introduces players to some of the most famous pirates in history. Why did the Caribbean, in all the world, became so associated with pirates? When did piracy in the Caribbean begin? And when did it end?

Matt Lewis is joined by pirate historian Dr Rebecca Simon, author of Why We Love Pirates and Pirate Queens: The L...

Assassin's Creed Revelations transports us to Constantinople, only a couple of generations after its conquest by the Ottoman Empire. It is one of history’s defining events, turning the city into the bridge between Christian West and Islamic East. Dr Gemma Masson gives Matt Lewis an overview of the events of the conquest and the impact it had on both the face of the city and the lives of the people who called it home.

Echoe...

Assassin's Creed III gives players a unique chance to take part in the Battles of Lexington and Concord, and to influence the course of history. But why did the shot heard ‘round the world, that started the American Revolution, happem in a small farmtown with as many cows as people living in it?

To help solve this colonial conundrum, Matt Lewis is joined by our cousin from across the pond, Don Wildman, the host of American...

The original Assassin’s Creed game focuses on the Assassins' efforts to bring down the Templars during the Third Crusade from 1189-1192. He encounters real figures from history, including Templar Grand Masters and Christian kings. One person who doesn’t appear as a character is the Muslim leader, Saladin. Nevertheless his presence - and his legend - is felt.

The first Sultan of both Egypt and Syria, Saladin pushed ba...

Assassin’s Creed Mirage sheds a rare light on Banu Musa - the Sons of Moses. These genius brothers play a small but crucial role in the game, aiding the player with a wealth of revolutionary gadgets to overcome enemies and obstacles. Did these inventors really exist? And if they were so clever, why do we not list them alongside Archimedes, Thomas Edison or Leonardo Da Vinci?

Dr Ali Olomi from Layola Marymount University re...

In the 16th century world of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, we meet the samurai as they had to be: soldiers in a world on fire. But today, we’re looking at the samurai as they wanted to be seen. In this special episode, Matt Lewis joins Dr Rosina Buckland, Curator of the Japanese Collections at the British Museum, to examine a 500-year-old puzzle: this suit of samurai armour.

It has been passed down through generations a...

The Ides of March is the best-known date in the ancient world, thanks to one of the most infamous acts in history: the assassination of Gaius Julius Caesar. Assassin’s Creed Origins portrays Caesar at the peak of his powers, who was shockingly assassinated by a gang of Senators, including his most loyal friends and followers, like Brutus. What had Caesar done to deserve this? Who stabbed him first? And how did the assassins&r...

“Behind every great man is an even greater woman.” During the first century of the Abbasid Caliphate, the caliphs oversaw an Islamic Golden Age. These men expanded territory, science and the arts, leaving a lasting mark on human civilisation. But the caliphs were managed, sometimes manipulated, and even murdered, by the women at their side. Most notorious amongst these is Qabiha, the ultimate villain of Assassin’s...

Wouldn’t it be nice to know the future? To have solid advice on what is about to happen in your life, so that you know exactly what to do when the time comes?

For the Ancient Greeks, this wasn’t a daydream: it was a real possibility, thanks to Oracles.  

The most important soothsayer was the Oracle of Delphi. Located high on the remote slopes of Mount Parnassus, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey recreates the sanctu...

The Great Heathen Army: the cool, or terrifying, name given to a huge Norse army that landed in England in the middle of the 9th century and stayed for 13 years, devastating the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. The Viking leaders are semi-legendary, cloaked in the mythology of the Norse and the scaremongering of the Anglo-Saxons. Was the army really led by the three sons of the infamous Ragnar Lothbrook, as depicted in Assassin's Creed Valhal...